The Gibson SG Guitar

The Gibson SG is a model of solid-bodied electric guitar that was introduced in 1961 by Gibson, and remains in production, with many variations on the initial design available today. Gibson claims that the SG Standard is their best selling model of all time, even surpassing the Les Paul.

In 1961, Gibson Les Paul sales were significantly lower than in previous years. The following year, the Les Paul was given a thinner, flat-toppedmahogany body, and had a double cutaway which made the upper frets more accessible. The neck joint was moved by three frets to further ease access to the upper frets. The simpler body construction significantly reduced production costs, and the new Les Paul, with its slender neck profile and small heel was advertised as having the "fastest neck in the world". Although the new guitar was popular, Les Paul himself did not care for the new design, and requested the removal of his name from the new model. He remained under contract to Gibson, however, and he was photographed with the new model several times.

Gibson honored Les Paul's request, and the new model was renamed "SG", which stood for 'Solid Guitar'. Les Paul's name was officially deleted in 1961, but the SG continued to feature Les Paul nameplates and truss rod covers until the end of 1963.

Gibson also releases lower-cost, internationally sourced versions of the SG through their subsidiary Epiphone.

Because of its popularity and vintage heritage, the body style of the SG is often copied by other manufacturers, although much less frequently than the Les Paul and the Fender Stratocaster.

The SG generally has a solid mahogany body, with a black "bat-wing" pickguard. The 24.75" scale mahogany neck joins the body at the 19th fret. The SG's set neck is shallower than the Gibson Les Paul's, but features the traditional Gibson combination of two humbucker pickups and a Tune-o-matic bridge assembly (or vibrato tailpiece, depending on the model).

The SG Standard features pearl trapezoid fretboard inlays, as well as fretboard binding and inlaid "Gibson" logo; the SG Special omits these features, instead using cheaper white dot inlays and a silk-screened logo. The Standard has a volume and a tone control for each individual pickup, and a three-way switch that allows the player to select either the bridge pickup, the neck pickup, or both together. The SG does not include switching to coil tap the humbuckers in stock form.

Some models use body woods other than mahogany; examples include the Swamp Ash SG Special and SG Voodoo, the 2009 Raw Power, and some walnut bodied 1970s models. High-end models occasionally sport decorative maple caps, carved tops, and gold hardware.